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Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Japan

Suppose that the combination (n;a1,a2,,an)(n; a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of positive integers satisfy the condition a1+a2++an=2008a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n = 2008. Let for each kk with 1kn1 \le k \le n, Ak=a1a2akA_k = a_1a_2\cdots a_k. Determine the maximum possible value that the quantity A1+A2++AnA_1 + A_2 + \dots + A_n can take.

Solution

[472366732]\left[\frac{47}{2} \cdot 3^{667} - \frac{3}{2}\right]

For (a1,a2,,an)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) satisfying the condition of the problem, let us put A0=1A_0 = 1 and
S(a1,a2,,an)=A1+A2++An. S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = A_1 + A_2 + \dots + A_n.

Lemma 1. For (a1,a2,,an)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) which yields the maximum possible value of S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n), we must have aiai+1a_i \ge a_{i+1} for each ii satisfying 1in11 \le i \le n-1.

Proof of Lemma 1. Suppose there exists a kk with 1kn11 \le k \le n-1, for which ak<ak+1a_k < a_{k+1}. Let us define an nn-tuple of positive integers (b1,b2,,bn)(b_1, b_2, \dots, b_n) by setting
bi=ai if ik,k+1;bk=ak+1,bk+1=ak. b_i = a_i \text{ if } i \ne k, k+1; \quad b_k = a_{k+1}, \quad b_{k+1} = a_k.
Since b1+b2++bn=2008b_1 + b_2 + \dots + b_n = 2008, (b1,b2,,bn)(b_1, b_2, \dots, b_n) satisfies the condition of the problem. To prove the Lemma, therefore, it is enough to show that S(a1,a2,,an)<S(b1,b2,,bn)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) < S(b_1, b_2, \dots, b_n). Let us put Bi=b1b2biB_i = b_1b_2\dots b_i for each ii. It is clear that Ai=BiA_i = B_i holds for each iki \ne k. We also have
BkAk=(ak+1ak)Ak1>0, B_k - A_k = (a_{k+1} - a_k)A_{k-1} > 0,
and therefore, the Lemma is proved.

Lemma 2. If (a1,a2,,an)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) with a1+a2++an=2008a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n = 2008 gives the maximum possible value to S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n), then ai3a_i \le 3 must hold for each ii, 1in1 \le i \le n.

Proof of Lemma 2. Suppose there exists a kk with 1kn1 \le k \le n, for which ak4a_k \ge 4. We may assume that a14a_1 \ge 4 in view of Lemma 1. Let us define an n+1n+1 tuple (c1,c2,,cn+1)(c_1, c_2, \dots, c_{n+1}) by setting
c1=a12;c2=2;ci=ai1 (for 2<in+1). c_1 = a_1 - 2; \quad c_2 = 2; \quad c_i = a_{i-1} \text{ (for } 2 < i \le n+1).
Since c1+c2++cn+1=2008c_1 + c_2 + \dots + c_{n+1} = 2008, to prove the Lemma it is enough to show that S(a1,a2,,an)<S(c1,c2,,cn+1)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) < S(c_1, c_2, \dots, c_{n+1}). Let us set Q=A2+A3++AnA1Q = \frac{A_2+A_3+\dots+A_n}{A_1}. Then we have
S(a1,a2,,an)=a1+Qa1. S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = a_1 + Qa_1.
We also have
S(c1,c2,,cn+1)=(a12)+2(a12)+2Q(a12). S(c_1, c_2, \dots, c_{n+1}) = (a_1 - 2) + 2(a_1 - 2) + 2Q(a_1 - 2).
From these identities and from the fact that a14a_1 \ge 4 it follows that
S(c1,c2,,cn+1)=S(a1,a2,,an)=(2a16)+Q(a14)>0, S(c_1, c_2, \dots, c_{n+1}) = S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = (2a_1 - 6) + Q(a_1 - 4) > 0,
which establishes the claim of the Lemma.

Lemma 3. There exists a combination (n,a1,a2,,an)(n, a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) giving S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) the maximum value and having the additional property that 1 appears among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n at most once.

Proof of Lemma 3. Suppose S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) attains the maximum possible value, and suppose there are two or more 1's among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n. We may assume that an1=an=1a_{n-1} = a_n = 1 in view of Lemma 1. Let us define an n1n-1 tuple (d1,d2,,dn1)(d_1, d_2, \dots, d_{n-1}) by
di=ai(i<n1);dn1=2. d_i = a_i \quad (i < n-1); \quad d_{n-1} = 2.
Then, d1+d2++dn1=2008d_1 + d_2 + \dots + d_{n-1} = 2008. For each kk with 1kn11 \le k \le n-1, let Dk=d1d2dkD_k = d_1d_2\dots d_k. We then have Ak=DkA_k = D_k when 1kn21 \le k \le n-2. We also have Dn1=2An2D_{n-1} = 2A_{n-2}. Furthermore, from the fact that an1=an=1a_{n-1} = a_n = 1 it follows that An1=An=An2A_{n-1} = A_n = A_{n-2}. Consequently, we have S(a1,a2,,an)=S(d1,d2,,dn1)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = S(d_1, d_2, \dots, d_{n-1}). This shows that if there are two or more 1's among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n, then we can introduce d1,d2,,dn1d_1, d_2, \dots, d_{n-1} to reduce the number of 1's among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n while keeping the maximality of the value S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n). We can reduce the number of 1's further, if necessary, by starting with d1,d2,,dn1d_1, d_2, \dots, d_{n-1} and going through the same procedure. Thus, there is a combination (n;a1,a2,,an)(n; a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of positive integers which give the maximum value of S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) with the additional property that 1 appears among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n at most once.

Lemma 4. There exists a combination (n;a1,a2,,an)(n; a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of positive integers which gives the maximum value for S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) and for which there are at most three 2's among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n.

Proof of Lemma 4. Suppose there exists an nn tuple a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n which gives the maximum value for S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) and there are 44 or more 22's among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n. In view of Lemma 1, we may assume that there exists a kk with 1kn31 \le k \le n-3 such that ak=ak+1=ak+2=ak+3=2a_k = a_{k+1} = a_{k+2} = a_{k+3} = 2. Introduce an n1n-1 tuple (e1,e2,,en1)(e_1, e_2, \dots, e_{n-1}) by defining
ei=ai(i<k);3=ai+k;i=k,k+1;i>k+1. e_i = a_i \quad (i < k); \quad 3 = a_i + k; \quad i = k, k+1; \quad i > k+1.
If k>1k > 1 call P=A1+A2++Ak1P = A_1 + A_2 + \dots + A_{k-1}. If k=1k = 1, let P=0P = 0. Also, if k<n3k < n-3 let Q=Ak+4+Ak+5++AnAk+3Q = \frac{A_{k+4} + A_{k+5} + \dots + A_n}{A_{k+3}}, and Q=0Q = 0 if k=n3k = n-3. Then, we have
S(a1,a2,,an)=P+2Ak1+4Ak1+8Ak1+16Ak1+16QAk1. S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = P + 2A_{k-1} + 4A_{k-1} + 8A_{k-1} + 16A_{k-1} + 16QA_{k-1}.
We also have
S(e1,e2,,en1)=P+3Ak1+9Ak1+18Ak1+18QAk1. S(e_1, e_2, \dots, e_{n-1}) = P + 3A_{k-1} + 9A_{k-1} + 18A_{k-1} + 18QA_{k-1}.
It follows from these identities that we have
S(e1,e2,,en1)S(a1,a2,,an)=2QAk10. S(e_1, e_2, \dots, e_{n-1}) - S(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = 2QA_{k-1} \ge 0.

Since e1+e2++en1=2008e_1+e_2+\cdots+e_{n-1} = 2008, the combination (n1;e1,e2,,en1)(n-1; e_1, e_2, \cdots, e_{n-1}) satisfies the condition of the problem, and since S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n) has the maximum value, S(e1,e2,,en1)S(e_1, e_2, \cdots, e_{n-1}) also takes the maximum value. Therefore, if there are 4 or more 2's among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n, then we can reduce the number of 2's without losing the maximality of the value S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n). This proves the assertion of this Lemma.

Now going back to the problem, we note that, in view of Lemmas 1, 2, 3, 4, it is enough to check the following 3 cases in order to determine the maximum value of S(a1,a2,,an)S(a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n):
(1)a1=a2==a669=3,a670=1. (1) \quad a_1 = a_2 = \cdots = a_{669} = 3, \quad a_{670} = 1.
(2)a1=a2==a667=3,a668=a669=a670=2,a671=1. (2) \quad a_1 = a_2 = \cdots = a_{667} = 3, \quad a_{668} = a_{669} = a_{670} = 2, \quad a_{671} = 1.
(3)a1=a2==a668=3,a669=a670=2. (3) \quad a_1 = a_2 = \cdots = a_{668} = 3, \quad a_{669} = a_{670} = 2.
Let X=3+32++3667X = 3 + 3^2 + \cdots + 3^{667} and Y=3667Y = 3^{667}. Then

In the case (1): S(a1,a2,,an)=X+3Y+9Y+9Y=X+21YS(a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n) = X + 3Y + 9Y + 9Y = X + 21Y,

In the case (2): S(a1,a2,,an)=X+2Y+4Y+8Y+8Y=X+22YS(a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n) = X + 2Y + 4Y + 8Y + 8Y = X + 22Y,

In the case (3): S(a1,a2,,an)=X+3Y+6Y+12Y=X+21YS(a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n) = X + 3Y + 6Y + 12Y = X + 21Y,

so that we have the desired maximum value to be X+22Y=472366732X + 22Y = \frac{47}{2} \cdot 3^{667} - \frac{3}{2}.

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